Innocent
by ThatKindOfGirl
Summary: Claire knows Quil is a wolf. She even knows that imprinting exists. But it isn't until she overhears him on the phone one night that she realizes she's his. So Claire enlists the help of her best friend to seduce Quil the summer before senior year. Everything goes just as planned until Claire makes a red-eyed friend... CxQ eventually mature
1. Chapter 1

summary: Claire knows Quil is a wolf. She even knows that imprinting exists. But it isnt until she overhears him on the phone one night that she realizes she's his. So Claire enlists the help of her best friend to seduce Quil the summer before senior year. CxQ HEA Mature

words: 3428

The night everything changed was just your usual Wednesday night. I had school in the morning and hung out with my best friend Anna afterwards. At dinner time we parted ways, I drove home, and sat on the porch to wait for Quil to show up.

 _...innocent..._

When I was a kid I didn't realize that there was anything special about a twenty something year-old guy hanging out with me. He'd been around since I was two and I just assumed everyone had one. A Quil. It wasn't until middle school that I really even began to ask questions. And that was only the case because my classmates asked. "Who's that man that always comes to the school play's Claire?" "Why do you always hang out with your brother?" I'd get mad and yell that he wasn't my brother, because something about that just felt deeply wrong. Quil wasn't my brother or my cousin or a family friend, Quil was simply _mine_. And he always had been.

Even Jamie, my older sister began to complain why Quil was always hanging around. We didn't need a babysitter anymore, so why doesn't he hang out with people his own age. When she said that my heart stopped. He wouldn't leave right?

That night my mom sent me to bed early and had a long talk with my sister. Jamie never said anything again but things still changed. On the weekends rather than have Quil come here, I would go spend them with my Aunt Emily in La Push where Quil was from. We would have family dinners with the whole pack, as Uncle Sam and Quil's friends called themselves, and Quil was still the same.

He helped me with my homework, took me to the beach and bought me three ice creams because he said if I had a fourth I'd feel sick. It was on one of those summer days when I was thirteen just before high school began, that I asked him, "Quil?" He looked up from his shoe laces that he was tieing.

"Hmm?"

"What are you?" _To me._ He sat back unceremoniously. His eyes were wide and he looked over to where Uncle Sam and Aunt Emily were sitting at the other end of the beach. It almost looked like Sam was looking back at us.

"What do you mean Claire-Bear?"

I huffed and narrowed my eyes at him. I told Quil a million times that I was to old to be called Claire-Bear. I was just Claire now. "Like, why are you always here?"

He frowned and looked down, "Do you not want me here?"

For a moment I thought of saying no, to punish him for using my old nickname but I realized that I was being childish and held my tongue. Instead I answered like my mom would, with another question. "Do you want to be here?"

"Of course Claire. Where else would I be?" I wrinkled my forehead. He was finally supposed to answer me not ask another question.

"I don't know, like with your friends or at work or school or something." And at that moment I realized I didn't even know how old he was. Would he still be able to go to school? He didn't look any older than 20, but wasn't he a teenager when he babysat me and Jamie? No way he was only seven then, he used to drive me to kindergarten.

"I see my friends everyday Claire." He smiled then as if that answered all my questions.

"Quil!" This was getting really frustrating. "Why do you hang out with a thirteen year old when you are…. how old are you anyway?"

"I hang out with you cus you are my best friend Claire." He rubbed my back with his large warm hand.

"But why?"

"Cus you are funny, and nice, you listen to my boring stories and with ice cream smeared all over your face you look cute." His eyes crinkled as he smiled at me. I quickly wiped my hand over my mouth and sure enough felt the wetness of my long gone ice cream. No wonder he didn't take me seriously. But cute?! I'm not cute, I'm pretty. I'm not some kid anymore. And then I was angry. Quil never answered my questions when I was serious.

"You think a thirteen year old girl is cute?" He removed his hand like I had burned him. Finally I found a way to hurt him back. "Isn't that weird?" Truthfully I didn't think it was weird, but Jamie had, and Anna did, and I wanted to know.

"It's not weird Claire." I had never seen Quil look that sad. Not even when his grandpa Quil Senior passed away.

"Why, cus you're like my brother? Cus you aren't. You are not my brother. You're not even my cousin. We aren't even related. So what are you?"

"I'm your friend Claire." I screeched in frustration.

"That's weird Quil. Just tell me. Tell me why you hang out with a thirteen year old. Don't you have your own life? Why doesn't my mom or Emily think it's weird. You're like old." The moment the words left my mouth I realized I could lose him forever. That was not what I wanted but I was mad and it felt good to say hurtful things, even though in the end I would be the one that was hurt.

Just then Sam reached us and said sharply, "Claire it's time to go home."

"What? No, it's not even dark yet." I looked to Quil, normally he would be on my side, sweet talking Sam that he would take a double shift if I could stay a little longer. But this time he didn't. He didn't say anything. That's when I realized I'd screwed it all up.

Emily drove me back home and I sulked in the car for forty-five minutes. When she put the car in park I snapped open my door and stormed into my house passing Jamie on the floor watching tv, and my mom folding laundry in the hallway. I pounded up the stairs, slammed my door shut, threw myself into bed and cried. I cried so long my head was pounding and I was sure I was dehydrated.

My mom and Emily talked for a while but no one ever came upstairs to disturb me and I was glad. The only one I wanted to comfort me was gone forever.

Things changed after that just like I knew they would. I refused to go to La Push and I even went two weeks without seeing Quil. Something I had never thought was possible. My heart ached for my friend. I figured the only way to express myself was to start wearing black, and the first weekend I don't go to La Push I grabbed my old scissors grabbed a chunk of my hair and cut. It looked truly terribly awful, and when my mom saw me come down the stairs she was so shocked she dropped the glass salad bowl. But it made me feel better.

Finally I did see Quil again, after those first two weeks. He came by the house with a bunch of flowers and chocolate for me. My heart started racing and I almost ran out to jump into his arms. But then I saw Jamie's face, pulled into a grossed out sneer. And I realized that this was weird. My dad brought my mom flowers and chocolate when they had a fight or on date night. So I didn't accept them even though I desperately wanted too.

I saw him around every once and awhile then, at grocery stores and the nearby mall. My mom told me that he moved here to the Makah tribe for work. I couldn't believe that he stopped working for Uncle Sam but I had no way of asking him why. On my fourteenth birthday I asked my mom not to invite him, or anyone but Emily and Sam from La Push. I regretted it the moment I woke up and didn't smell the burnt waffles Quil tried to make me every year. But my pride won out once again. It wasn't until I was almost through freshman year at high school when one of the boys started a rumour that I had herpes because I wouldn't kiss him that things between Quil and I changed.

That whole week at school everyone made fun of me. Only Anna and my sister stuck up for me but it wasn't enough. That weekend was the first party of the summer and I wasn't invited. Not only that, I was specifically _un_ invited.

I didn't tell my mom, Jamie didn't know, and that Friday night I ran away. I wanted to make it to first beach in La Push. I didn't know why, I just knew that that would be the only place I could feel better. After a three hour walk in the rain I gave up. I walked over to the road and held out my hand hoping someone would take me in either direction. And then it happened. I saw a blue rusty truck that I knew all too well. I quickly pulled in my hand and turned my back to the approaching car hoping he wouldn't see me. But he did. He had the car pulled over and me in his arms before I could even say "Quil."

He pulled off his toasty sweatshirt to give me to keep warm and pulled me into his car. I started to cry. When he drove back towards Makah I cried harder. I blubbered, "La Push" and finally he turned the car around.

He held open his right arm and I curled into his chest and sobbed. When he stopped the car I was still crying, but not about school or the part or that stupid boy Mark. I was crying because of Quil. Because of how much I missed him and how stupid I was.

Finally he picked me up and carried me into his house, which wasn't in Makah at all but still in La Push, unless he now owned two homes. He put me on the couch and wrapped me in three blankets before he grabbed my cell and called my mom. I didn't hear much of the conversation but when he asked when she'd be here I cried out. I could not leave him. Not again. Not tonight.

Quil sat back down beside me and asked if I wanted to stay here tonight and go home tomorrow I blubbered and nodded my head.

We watched movies all night long and Quil let me eat an entire tub of ice cream for the first time. When it became hard for me to keep my eyes open he moved over so I could lean against his chest, and that's how I fell asleep. I woke up the next morning in the exact same position. Quil's head had fallen back and he was snoring so loud his entire body was shaking. Both his arms were wrapped around me, and mine were fisted in his shirt. And it felt wonderful and strange and not at all wrong.

I realized at that moment that I was in love with Quil. Not like a brother or a friend but the way a girl loves a boy.

I started crying again and Quil woke quickly, tightening his grip around me. But he never asked why, and it made me love him even more.

My mom came soon after and when we were in the car she did ask why. So finally I told her about the rumours and the party and how I was doomed at school. But that Monday all the rumours had stopped and Mark, with a shining black eye came to apologize, and I just knew that somehow Quil was responsible for this. So after school I called him and asked if we could hang out. And the next weekend I went back to Aunt Emily and Uncle Sam's, and things kinda went back to normal, minus the part where I was hopelessly in love with him. So I decided to stop asking questions. Because I didn't care anymore why he would hang out with me. I only cared that he would never stop.

But sometimes you get rewarded for being patient, and on my fifteenth birthday Quil took me to a special bonfire in La Push where I got to hear some amazing stories about the tribe. Stories about wolves and war and love. When it was all over and my yawns were almost non stop Quil turned towards me and told me it was all true. That he was one of the wolves and that's why he never aged. That it happened to him when he was sixteen, and that "the pack" was an actual pack… of wolves. I believed him. Because it finally explained everything. So I thanked him for trusting me and swore to never tell anyone.

 _...innocent..._

Now here we are on this fateful night. I'm sixteen and it was the end of junior year of high school. Quil always came for dinner Wednesday night so I was waiting for him on the porch steps. When he came out of the woods with windswept hair I bounded down the steps and jumped into his arms. He laughed and twirled me around before setting me on my feet.

"Hey Claire-Bear." I stuck out my tongue at him and he laughed.

"Hey Quilly."

He slapped a hand over his chest and exclaimed dramatically, "I'm hurt. How dare you not use my oh so manly name."

I saluted him with a straight face. "Yes Sir!" Then I stuck my tongue out once more and ran away giggling until he caught me seconds later and tickled me until I screamed "uncle."

Dinner was uneventful and afterwards we watched Titanic, which Quil hated but I always got to pick. I fell asleep after we put in the second DVD.

I awoke to the sound of Quil on the phone in the kitchen. He must be talking to someone from the pack because he was laughing. "... of course I'm with Claire… well that's what you do when you have one … dude why would I care about some party when I could spend the night with my imprint …" he kept talking after that but my heart stopped. Quil had said imprint right? Of all the stories that I heard when I was fifteen the story of the Third Wife had always been my favourite, so I was well versed in the term _imprint_. "... I gotta go she's waking up." I heard him hang up the phone and place it on the counter. Five creaky footsteps followed before Quil stopped before me on the couch. "Hey sleepyhead."

I couldn't form words. His forehead crinkled and he crouched down to touch my forehead. "You feeling okay?" I nodded mutely. "Just a bad dream? I thought I heard you're heart stutter." Had it been a dream? Could it be? Could I be that lucky? It would explain why Quil was always here... I swallowed hard and shook my head.

Finally I spoke, "No. A really good dream actually." He smiled and tapped my nose.

"Then what's with the serious face?" He laughed. "Good dreams are supposed to make you happy."

"I am. I think I'm really happy." I threw my arms around him before he could ask anything else and hugged him close. "I'm gonna go to bed." I needed time to think.

"Okay Claire." He stood to his full height of 6"4. "See you this weekend."

That night I didn't fall asleep until 5am. Thoughts kept running through my head. Thoughts that made me trash around in bed because I was so giddy. I heard him, I knew I did. I was Quil's imprint. That's why he spent so much time with me, that's why he ditched his friends and a party to come watch a movie with me that he hated. Quil loved me. Or at the very least liked me a whole lot. I squealed involuntarily and quickly slapped a hand over my mouth. My biggest dream had come true.

 _...innocent..._

That night my dreams took a trip down memory lane and I remembered all the strange things the pack had said over the years that didn't make sense until now. Why they howled with laughter when I informed Quil at six that I would marry him, clapping him on his back in congratulations. Or why everyone thanked me when I let Quil back into my life after our falling out. They all knew. That's why Emily and Sam didn't think it was weird for him to hang around. God, my mom probably even knew.

With only two days of school before summer vacation left we weren't doing much but watching TV in class. I turned to Anna, my best friend, and decided to ask her for some advice. She already had three boyfriends so she could surely help me.

"Psst, Anna." She lifted her head from her desk where she had been trying to nap.

"What's up Claire?"

"I need your help. Can I come over after school?"

"Sure. What's up?"

I was so giddy I couldn't help myself from responding. "It's about a boy."

Her eyes bugged out of her head. "You? And a boy?" She laughed quietly. "I never thought I'd see the day. I can't wait to help you." Then a wicked gleam shone in her eyes. "Want to skip fourth?"

Anna had no qualms about skipping school especially now that it was so close to summer holidays and with a jolt I realized I didn't either. I could hardly contain my glee all day and to wait another hour after this seemed torture.

"Sure."

 _...innocent..._

We grabbed two popsicles from Anna's basement freezer and sat out in her backyard. Her sweet labrador Tully ran laps around us stopping in every once in a while to see if he could lick any leftover juices off our fingers.

"Ok. What I'm going to tell you you can't ever tell anyone and you have to promise not to judge."

Anna smiled and held my hand. "I'd never judge you Claire. Now spill."

Before I could chicken out I said it. "I'm in love with Quil!"

She threw her head back and laughed. "I know that silly. Damn and here I thought you were actually gonna tell me some big secret."

"You know?" My heart thudded. "Does everyone know? Does _he_ know?!"

Finally her laughter died down and she looked at me with sympathy. "I think your mom knows. And Jamie definitely knows. But I wouldn't worry about Quil, boys are totally clueless about this stuff." She paused and spoke again. "Isn't he a bit old though? I mean don't get me wrong I'm totally down with the sugar daddy thing but... how old is he anyway?"

"He's in his twenties." I crossed my fingers behind my back.

Anna's face lifted. "Oh! I knew he couldn't be that old. I mean he looks twenty so I guess that's all that really matters."

"Right." I smiled.

"So what changed? How come you finally decided to do something about it?"

"I heard him talking on the phone last night. Telling his friend he wasn't coming to a party because he was hanging out with me. But all we did was watch Titanic which he hates and I had even fallen asleep. And then he said…" I stopped myself then started again. "That means something right?"

Tully ran over and licked Anna's face and she pushed him away gently. "Totally. You know what this means right?"

"No? What does this mean?"

"It means it's time to seduce Quil. He's such a sweet guy I don't think he'd ever make a move on you especially since we're only sixteen. But he definitely has the hots for you. So we just have to make you irresistible."

"Irresistible?"

"Yup." She popped her p loudly. "We are gonna make you so innocently hot he won't be able to keep his hands off you."

I blushed but couldn't keep the grin off my face that sounded exactly right. "Innocent?"

"Yeah girl you can't be all up in his face. Innocent hotness is what drives guys crazy, believe me. This is gonna be one crazy summer."

I did believe her. And it was a crazy summer.


	2. Chapter 2

words: 2708

published: april 20 2017

"It's all going to start on Friday."

"Why Friday?" Anna looked at me incredulously. "The party in La Push silly remember?"

Every year at the end of school Makah and La Push tribes would get together for an end of the year bonfire slash beach party. I'd been last year with Quil but he didn't want to stay long because of all the drinking.

"First we need to get you a bikini."

"A bikini? Doesn't the party start at 8?"

"The real party starts at like 12." Anna grinned. "We're gonna skip school again."

We decided against going to the mall and instead Anna told me I could have one of hers. She went a bit crazy last summer and had a dozen stringy, cheeky bikinis.

The fifth one was the winner. It's was a simple royal blue colour that contrasted nicely against my tanned skin. The top crossed in the back and Anna informed me that it had great hold and even my C cups would stay covered if we played a game of beach volleyball. The bottoms however were a different story. Though they weren't quite a thong, which most of Anna's were, they still showed most of my ass.

Anna smacked it playfully as I passed her. "You'll have Quil drooling after you, chasing away all the boys."

I couldn't help but grin. "You think?"

"Hell yeah, you're freaking hot."

That night, after I had showered, shaved and lotioned every inch of my body I called Quil, Anna's instructions still fresh in my mind.

"Hey Claire."

"Hey Quil." I sighed softly. He didn't respond for a beat.

"What have you been up too?" I could hear him shuffling in the background probably getting together some food. That man was forever hungry.

"Oh not much. Just been trying on Anna's bikinis all afternoon." I left off there.

"That's nice. You girls going to the beach?" My eyes narrowed. Anna was wrong, he didn't seem affected at all.

"Yeah. You know the party at first beach tomorrow?"

"Oh you don't need you swim suit it'll be way too cold at night. And I thought we could catch a movie tomorrow. Sam doesn't need me to run patrol at night."

"Actually we are going there during the day already. Anna asked me to sleepover too."

"Oh." His voice dropped. "So I guess I'll see you at the beach?"

"Yeah for sure! If you're not busy during the day you could join our beach volleyball tournament."

He paused. "Don't you have school tomorrow?"

"Come on Quil, don't tell me you never skipped school for a day?"

"I could pick you up after school tomorrow if it because you need a ride."

"No." I tried my hardest not to huff. The point of this whole scheme was to appear mature. "Jamie is lending me her car after we pick up some drinks."

"Drinks?"

"Yeah, you know for the party?"

"Oh. I guess I just didn't realize you were drinking already."

"I'm almost seventeen you know. I'm not a little kid anymore." I could hardly keep from twirling in my room, Anna's checklist running through my mind. One, remind him you're not a kid anymore. Two, tell him about the bikinis. Three, be innocently sexy. The last one I was still working on, but I wasn't quite sure how to do the whole sexy thing yet. "So I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'll make sure to see you Claire. Goodnight."

I sighed again. "Goodnight Quil," and then with the sexiest voice I could think to do, "sweet dreams." I hung up the phone quickly and fell backwards onto my bed. This is going to be amazing.

...innocent…

I woke up Friday morning with the sun shining on my face. It's like the universe aligned to make sure today would be absolutely perfect. Because my mom wasn't aware of our plan to skip school today I ate my usual oatmeal and then grabbed my school bag, now filled with my bikini and overnight clothes rather than books, and waved goodbye to her before walking over to Anna's.

Her mom was still home, but actually encouraged us to have fun at the party, reminding us to stay safe and to not drink and drive, we can call her anytime. Anna rolled her eyes and all but pushed her mom out the door to work, informing her that this was not her first rodeo.

Anna grabbed my hand and we rushed upstairs to change. We both put on our bikinis and jean shorts, and while I decided to put on a white v-neck Anna decided to forego a shirt altogether.

I texted Jamie to see if she was finally awake, she was home from university for summer break and so far had not woken before 12pm. Half an hour later she texted that she was so we walked back home and jumped into our old silver van.

Jamie was only 19, but she used to date this guy called Jack whose family owned the nearby liquor store. She was pretty sure that she could get us something. At the last second Jamie decided Anna should go in with her too. I wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that Anna was only wearing her bikini top.

They came back ten minutes later giggling and holding two brown paper bags. "Tequila!" Anna shouted out and Jamie broke down with more laughter.

"Anna is way cooler than you." Jamie winked at me and I stuck my tongue out.

...innocent…

It took me awhile to get used to showing the world half my butt, but after Anna forced me to take a shot and we had a competitive game of beach volleyball I had all but forgotten.

The entire junior and senior class of both Makah and La Push high school were here. Even some pale faces from Forks. Someone brought their jeep and parked it on the beach, blasting music through all the open windows.

We walked up to the nearby diner and I gorged myself on fries, making sure Anna ate some too to soak up the quarter bottle of tequila she had already consumed.

It was getting close to sundown when I finally saw him. We were splashing around in the water when I felt the pull, and I knew that it I turned around I would see him watching me. Anna must have seen him too because she winked at me and mouthed, "go get him."

I turned around laughing and shouted out his name. Quil raised a hand in greeting. I ran through the water and up the beach, and wearing only my soaked bikini threw myself in Quil's arms, wrapping my sandy legs around his waist.

"Hi." I smiled.

"Hi." I saw his eyes shift to the right and noticed then that Paul, one of the pack members, was standing with him. I slid off Quil and tried my hardest not to blush. It was a lot harder to be sexy when you had an audience.

"Hey Paul. I didn't know you were coming." He shifted uncomfortably.

"Just came for a beer." He nodded his head towards the keg that the seniors had set up. "See you round Claire."

A beat of awkward silence followed. Quil looked me up and down and I noted smugly that his eyes seemed to widen at the site of me in a bikini. I twirled slowly. "You like?" I tried to bat my eyes inconspicuously.

He gulped. "Where's the rest of it?" Quil reached his hand behind his head and rubbed through his hair.

"Less tan lines."

He turned his head to look over to where Paul was filling his red cup and I swear I heard him say, "more like none."

I grinned and reached out to grab his hand pulling him towards the van where I stashed my tequila. He reached in after me and pulled out my jean shorts. "Here you go."

I raised a perfectly waxed eyebrow. "I'm okay. But thanks." Then I unscrewed the paper bag covered bottle and took a big gulp. I shuddered as the fire ran down my throat. "You want?"Quil looked down on me disapprovingly. For a second I thought he was going to lecture me, or tell me I'm too young. I was determined not to cry if he did. But then he surprised me by grabbing the bottle and taking an even bigger gulp than me without taking his eyes off me. I laughed and jumped up and down. "Yes Quil! I knew you could be fun!"

"As if there were any doubts." He grinned. "But it's gonna take me a lot more than a single tequila bottle to get drunk. Wolf genes." He pointed at his chest.

I began to walk away from where Quil was leaning against the van, "I've always wanted to try a keg stand." I swear I saw his eyes shoot up from my ass when i turned around.

He jogged to reach up to me and handed me my shorts again. "Take it easy Claire. Let's start with a simple cup of beer first."

That afternoon bled into evening, which bled into night, and I had the greatest day of my life. Quil ended up drinking about eight beers before he called it quits and decided to check in with Sam before coming back later. I drank a few more shots but only had one disgusting warm beer. Anna of course was absolutely wasted and was hanging off a new guy, Hal, she met here from La Push. He had invited us to spend the night at his house just a short walk from the beach.

Quil and I had chatted a bit and he even joined us in a game. Where I could feel his gaze burning into me, I had decided not to get my shorts sandy and had taken them off again, but every time I turned to look he was watching the ball. Stupid wolf reflexes.

"Woo party girl! You need to finish your booze." I smiled at Anna's wobbly form. Hal would have his hands full tonight. Literally.

I grabbed the half empty bottle out of her hands and raised it to my lips. Next thing I knew Anna, Hal and a bunch of our friends were chanting "Chug! Chug! Chug!" I finished the entire bottle and they cheered. I laughed and twirled. The alcohol didn't taste nearly as bad now that I was already drunk. Somehow the glass slipped from my fingers and it shattered on the concrete.

"Oh shit." I stepped away clumsily. Not wearing shoes was probably a bad decision. The glass had cut my ankle and blood pooled to the surface.

Hal's nameless friend, who was smart enough to wear shoes, stepped up to me and in one fell swoop lifted me into his arms bridal style. A small oomph escaped my lips before I wrapped my hands around his neck. The last thing I needed was to be dropped into the glass, who knew how drunk he was.

He walked me over to the sand but before he could set me down hot hands roughly ripped me out of his hands. Quil.

"What the hell Quill?" I looked over to see a hurt and confused look on the boys face. "Sorry about that."

He opened his mouth to speak but Quil was already walking away. "Who was that?" His voice was clipped.

"That was so rude Quil. That guy was just helping me." Hiccup.

"Are you drunk?!" Quil's eyes shone with anger. And then I was angry too.

"Yeah I'm drunk Quil. That's what you do at parties." I narrowed my eyes, but found that the world was beginning to spin.

"And letting random guys paw at you? Is that also a part of going to parties?" I shoved at his chest to try and get down but Quil was simply too strong. And hot. I felt clammy against this heated skin.

"Why do you care, huh?!" I shoved again. "Let me down!" Finally Quil set me down on a log that lay close to the shore. I breathed deeply and closed my eyes, but quickly opened them when it made the spinning worse.

"I care about you Claire." His voice was much softer. I looked up to find that he was frowning. "You're hurt."

"Huh?" He grabbed my ankle and looked at it in the moonlight. Then with a surprisingly gentle touch he pulled out a small shard of glass. I hissed. "Ouch."

"Where are your shoes?"

"The car." Hiccup. Quil was gone before I finished talking and back just as soon. I briefly worried if anyone noticed his speed but when I looked around only a few people were left on the beach and all of them looked to be completely plastered. Me included.

He gently pat the wound with my sock and then put them on each foot. I tried my hardest not to fall backwards as he laced up my sneakers. Suddenly Hal appeared behind Quil with an almost unconscious Anna. "You coming Claire?" When Anna stumbled again he picked her up easily and smiled down at her. She mumbled her thanks.

"Yup" I popped my p. When I tried to stand Quil pushed me back down. He looked at me questioningly

"Where are you going Claire?" I patted his head reassuringly.

"To bed Quilly!" Hiccup.

"With this prick?" My eyes shot open. I had never heard Quil use a bad word before.

Hal turned to Quil, "Yo, don't worry dude, half the people here are sleeping at my house. It's cool."

Quil didn't deign him with an answer. He simply picked me up and called over his shoulder, "Claire's staying with me. Have Anna call in the morning."

It was only a fifteen minute walk to Quil's house from the beach but each step sloshed the liquid around in my stomach. And he was simply so hot.

At the last second I was able to push enough out of Quil's arms to avoid vomiting on him. "Oh Claire." He set me down on my feet gently and held back my hair. Even though I felt sick and gross I could help but feel like I'd just completed a teenage ritual. And Quil was the guy holding back my hair. The girl always ends up with that guy who holds back her hair.

Once we were in his house Quil set me down on his lumpy couch and grabbed me a large glass of cold water. I drank the whole thing in one go. Then I got up on wobbly feet and shuffled towards the bathroom. I peed for the first time all day, aware of the fact that Quil could perfectly hear what I was doing, but it honestly felt so good I could hardly care. I grappled his toothpaste and spread it on my finger, drunkenly not having the forethought to wash my hands first. I scrubbed at my teeth and rinsed three times. I hated vomit breath.

I shuffled back into the living room and found that Quil had put on a movie and he held his arms open for me. I curled up beside him. And for the first time ever rested my head in his lap. At least being drunk made me bold. I desperately tried to keep my eyes open because closing them made me feel nauseous, but I was getting more and more tired.

"Quil?"

"Hmm?" He moved to brush his fingers through my hair. I could have purred.

"Do you think I'm cute?" His fingers stopped for a second then he started again.

"Of course Claire. You know that. Why?" I didn't respond. But not beautiful.

"Quil?"

"Yeah Claire?" I closed my eyes again. A few moments later I heard him again, "Claire?"

"You are really hot." His fingers completely stopped their movement. Reality was beginning to slip away and I snuggled closer.

"Want me to move away Claire? Or turn on the fan?"

I tried to tell him that that's not what I meant but I'm not sure I was able to get the words out of my mouth.


End file.
